Undergarment.



P. GEILI UNDERGARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED 001.5 19m atented 160v, 6, 191?.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented- N0v.; 6,

Application filedOctoberfi, 1915. SeriaINo.54,'164.

To all'whom it may concern Be it'known that "I, PHILIP GEIL, a citizen of the United 'States, residing'at'P-iqua, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Undergarments, of'which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to improvements in union suits, and is directed more particularly to theseat flaps of such garments.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, in the manufacture of such garments as I have mentioned, the buttons have been spaced apart normally a distance sufficient to register exactly with the button holes in the button hole strip, there having been no .allowance whatever made for the lateral stretching of the garment. This is very objectionable for the reason that when the suit is put on the body, it stretches to a great .extent and consequently, puts a great lateral strain on the end buttons and the button holes, since the body portion of the garment, carrying the buttons, stretches and it is intentionally made to do so), to a far greater extent than the button hole strip. Thus, in a veryshort time, the button'holes tear out, or become so large as tobe useless, and the end buttons are pulled olf.

I completely remedy this defect in the construction about to be described, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a garment having elastic characteristics with reinforcement in the back to receive the buttons or other fastening devices, which might be employed, the reinforcement being stitched to the garment when the garment is stretched to the desired extent or the extent to which it would be stretched, when on the body, so that when the garment resumes normal condition, the material of the garment and the reinforcement, will be contracted or puckered by reason of the tendency of the material of the garment to resume normal condition. The buttons on the reinforcing strip are normally much closer together than when the garment is on the body or when the material thereof is stretched to accommodate itself to the size of the body, the reinforcement resuming its original length upon being straightened out, and the said flap being provided with button holes to register with the buttons when in their abnormally separated position.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the button holding strip or reinforcement, that it willlimit the extent to which the material of the garmentmay be stretched in the vicinity of the buttons, thus eliminating the tendency to tear the fabric,

pull off the buttons, or pull out the button holes.

Referr ng to the drawings, Figure 1 1s a rear view of my improved union suit with the parts in theposition they assume when'the'suit is on'the body."

simllar view, with the seat- Fig. 2 is a let down.

Fig. 3 is a rear viewshowing the suit in normal condition, or in the condition it as sumes before being placed on the body, and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view about on line cza of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body of the suit, diflering inno essential particular from garments of this character in general use, sa about to be pointed out. p

'The numeral '2 designates the button or reforcing strip. This may be of'any suitable material, but preferably 'a' comparatively wide linen tape, stitched to the garment on theinside, and adapted to receive buttons'3,i which buttons are sewed tofthe strip f and.

garment, there being in the embodiment shown,- three buttons employed.

The tape or strip is" stitched uponthe material of the suit when stretched laterally to its fullest extent, thus when the material resumes its normal condition, the strip will be in eifect, shortened as indicated at 4:, Figs. 3 and 4, the material of the strip and the garnent between the buttons, will be puckere The numeral 5 designates the seat flap, provided at its upper end with the relatively nonelastic button hole strip 6, having therein button holes 7, the strip 6 being stitched to the main body of the flap 5, as shown at 8 and the weave of the material of the strip running crosswise of the Weave in the main position of the flap, so as to prevent undue lateral stretch of the button hole strip. It will be noted that in normal condition, there is considerable slack between the button holes of the button hole strip, which is taken up and flattened out, when the reinforcing strip is flattened out, or taken up, or the puckers therein taken up, when this part of the garment is again stretched by the body of the wearer.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that ve in the particulars the construction of the garment is such that when placed upon the body, which will stretch the garment very considerably in a lateral direction, the stretching will merely straighten out the button strip and seat flap to the position appropriate under the conditions, without the slightest tendency to tear off the buttons, or pull out the button holes.

It will be noted that the-reinforcement of the garment is stitched thereto when the garment is in stretched or abnormal condition, that is to say, it is stitched to the garment when the fabric is in the position it assumes when on the body, and the buttons or fastening means are stitched to the garment and reinforcement in the same manner, so that when the garment resumes its normal position, the outer buttons will be brought considerably within the end buttonholes on the seat flap. This will produce normally, a puckered condition between the buttons, but when the garment is placed I I claim is L In a garment of the character described having elastic characteristics, the combination with a strip of nonelastic material secured to the back thereof while the material is in stretched condition, whereby when the material of the garment resumes its normal condition, a'slack or pucker will be formed in the strip and in the material adjacent .thereto, fastening devices. secured to the strip, a seat flap having means forengaging the fastening devices ofthe strip, the fastening means on the said flap being adapted to register with the fastening devices on the strip, when the material of the'garment and the strip are extended, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a garment of the character described having elastic characteristics, a seat flap having buttonholes therein, reinforcing means carried by the back of the garment, buttons secured to the fabric of the garment and reinforcing means, said buttons and reinforcing means being attached to the garment when the garment is in stretched condition, so that said buttons, when the garment is in normal or unstretched condition, will lie considerably within the end buttonholes on the seat flap, but will be caused to register with the said end buttonholes, When the garment is in stretched ora-bnormal position, as when worn.

3. In a garment of the character described, having elastic characteristics, a seat flap having buttonholes therein, buttons secured to the fabric of the garment, said buttons being attached to the garment when the garment is in stretched condition, so that said buttons, when the garment is in normal or unstretched condition will lie consider,- ably within the end buttonholes on the seat flap, but will be caused to registerwith said end buttonholes when the garment is in stretched or abnormal condition, as when worn.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signaturev Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. I 7 

